Warning – this article contains spoilers for Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
Malcolm and his high-strung family have finally returned to the screen after two decades away, and the comeback delivers.
Revivals are everywhere right now, with Bill Lawrence’s much-loved sitcom Scrubs recently resurfacing on Disney+ and Hulu. Now Malcolm in the Middle is joining the wave, arriving with a four-part special that premiers today (April 10).
Originally running from 2000 to 2006, Malcolm in the Middle followed gifted middle child Malcolm as he tried to survive day-to-day life in a relentlessly chaotic household.
And for any reboot to work, it has to bring back the people who made it what it was — something Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair fully commits to.
With the exception of Eric Per Sullivan (Dewey), nearly the entire core cast returns. That includes Bryan Cranston (Hal), Jane Kaczmarek (Lois), Justin Berfield (Reese), Christopher Masterson (Francis), and of course Frankie Muniz stepping back into Malcolm’s shoes.
It isn’t just the Wilkersons getting the spotlight either. The new episodes also bring back a handful of familiar faces from around their world.
Francis’ wife Piama, played by Emy Coligado, is back in Life’s Still Unfair — and she and Francis have a major update: they’re expecting their first baby.
Fans will remember Piama arriving in season three, when she and Francis shocked everyone by getting married in Alaska without telling the family first.
Malcolm’s best friend Stevie was always going to be part of the reunion, and Craig Lamar Traylor reprises the role.
Stevie still deals with severe asthma and speaks with the same breath-by-breath cadence that defined his scenes in the original run.
In the reboot, he’s also moved into a new phase of life — he’s grown up, married, and now has a child.
Also returning is Craig, played by David Anthony Higgins. The former Lucky Aide co-worker is still in the same workplace — only now he’s climbed the ladder to become the store manager.
His long-running crush on Lois hasn’t been forgotten, even though she remains married to Hal (and yes, they’re still together here).
Meagen Fay’s Gretchen pops up in Life’s Still Unfair too, though her husband Otto is absent. Kenneth Mars, who portrayed Otto, died in 2011.
Gretchen and Otto were best remembered as the owners of The Grotto ranch, where Francis worked during seasons four through six.
Francis’ not-so-bright military school buddies also get a moment, showing up at Hal and Lois’ 40th wedding anniversary party.
Still behaving like the same rowdy troublemakers, Eric (Eric Nenninger), Ken (Arjay Smith), and Drew (Drew Powell) arrive at the event already drunk.
Abe — Stevie’s dad and one of Hal’s closest friends — returns as well, once again played by Gary Anthony Williams. True to form, he’s there to back Hal when his latest oddball plans kick into gear.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.